Glenn Kimpton

A set full of character, depth and textured music made with unpretentious skill and consideration, Under the Red Island Bakery is a special kind of album that doesn’t appear very often. An enduring treat that will be played to death, this one will stick to your stereo and make itself hard to forget.

We chat to the Anglo-Irish quartet The Haar about their wonderful new album of traditional Irish songs set to improvised music. Cue major and minor key switching, intuition and creative satisfaction.

At once playful, focused, narratively strong and highly respectful of heritage, Atlantic Edge is a triumph of musical prowess and a master class in beautifully blending traditional music with classical styles. It is an exceptional album.

We need more music like this; spontaneous, alive and affecting, The Haar, featuring Adam Summerhayes, Cormac Byrne, Murray Grainger and Molly Donnery, will take you on a journey and have you appreciating the purest of life’s pleasures. Wonderful stuff.

Home Waters is Sam Carter’s finest and most confident piece of work so far and best displays the honed talents of this valuable musician. A concise, cohesive and self-assured album that perfectly balances and blends ace song-writing with considered and finely judged arrangements. A must-have.

Voice of the Eagle is a box of treasures. Liam Barker’s film sheds some light on this unusual and remarkably gifted character, while also giving us plenty of examples of Robbie Basho’s spellbinding music to satisfy us throughout.

With Oneiric Formulary, Sir Richard Bishop is certainly not trying to do anything predictable – the result is a roller-coaster of a success. What a crazed, beautiful and brilliant riot of a record.

Unearth Repeat is a significant leap forward for Sam Sweeney in terms of his solo work. It is a highly creative work that brings something new to the mix, while also celebrating the simple joys of instrumental folk music. Mesmerising and irresistible stuff.

Earth and its Contents is a rich, intelligent and resilient album from Sarah Louise, one of the most hard-working, aware and important composers and performers we have. Relish this music at this time and let it help you consider things in different ways.

Borrowed Songs contains pieces both original and traditional and Ewan treats them in the same way, which is as songs and stories that need to be kept alive by playing them, hearing them and passing them on. This brief and quietly powerful album is one of subtle beauty and astute skill.

Totally improvised and recorded live in a single take, Adam Summerhayes and Murray Grainger’s “Untold” is work of startling, immediate beauty. It is a rich, durable and mercurial sound that will reward repeated listens.

We chat to master fiddler and our Artist of the Month Sam Sweeney. He talks about the crafting of his second album Unearth Repeat, his loud violin and why withholding information can be beneficial.